Sensor garment

Abstract

The present invention provides a sensor garment including a harness. In one exemplary embodiment, the sensor garment includes a textile portion, a device-retention element coupled to the textile portion, and a stretchable harness coupled to the textile portion. The harness includes a conductive element disposed between layers of film. The conductive element includes a first termination point at the device retention element, configured to connect to a monitor device. The conductive element includes a second termination point configured to connect to a sensor or transceiver.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A garment comprising:
 a textile layer; 
 a sensor coupled to the textile layer; and 
 an electrically conductive element coupled to the sensor and configured to transmit data from the sensor, 
 wherein the electrically conductive element is arranged in a pattern and comprises a first section having a first repeating pattern and a second section having a second repeating pattern, the second repeating pattern being different than the first repeating pattern in at least one of frequency or magnitude, and 
 wherein the second section is configured to be more flexible than the first section. 
 
     
     
       2. The garment of  claim 1 , wherein the electrically conductive element is wire. 
     
     
       3. The garment of  claim 1 , wherein the electrically conductive element is non-stretchable wire. 
     
     
       4. The garment of  claim 1 , wherein the pattern is at least one of a sinusoidal pattern, a zig-zag pattern, or a looping pattern. 
     
     
       5. The garment of  claim 1 , wherein the sensor comprises a resistance sensor. 
     
     
       6. The garment of  claim 5 ,
 wherein the resistance sensor senses deformation of the electrically conductive element by sensing variation in resistance of the electrically conductive element. 
 
     
     
       7. The garment of  claim 1 , wherein the electrically conductive element is coupled to the textile layer. 
     
     
       8. The garment of  claim 1 , further comprising a harness comprising the electrically conductive element. 
     
     
       9. The garment of  claim 1 , further comprising a harness comprising the electrically conductive element,
 wherein the harness comprises a layer coupled to the textile layer, and 
 wherein the electrically conductive element is disposed between the layer and the textile layer. 
 
     
     
       10. The garment of  claim 1 , wherein the electrically conductive element adopts a greater frequency closer to an endpoint of the electrically conductive element. 
     
     
       11. The garment of  claim 1 , wherein the electrically conductive element adopts a lesser magnitude closer to an endpoint of the electrically conductive element. 
     
     
       12. The garment of  claim 1 , wherein the second repeating pattern is different from the first repeating pattern in frequency. 
     
     
       13. The garment of  claim 1 , wherein the second repeating pattern is different from the first repeating pattern in magnitude. 
     
     
       14. The garment of  claim 1 , wherein the second repeating pattern is different from the first repeating pattern in both frequency and magnitude. 
     
     
       15. A garment comprising:
 a textile layer having a flexible textile portion and a less flexible textile portion; 
 a sensor coupled to the textile layer; and 
 an electrically conductive element coupled to the sensor and configured to transmit data from the sensor, the electrically conductive element being flexible and having a first length and a second length, 
 wherein the first length extends over the flexible textile portion and is fixed relative to the flexible textile portion, and 
 wherein the second length extends over the less flexible textile portion and is not fixed relative to the less flexible textile portion. 
 
     
     
       16. The garment of  claim 15 , further comprising a harness comprising the electrically conductive element, wherein the harness has a first length and a second length,
 wherein the first length of the electrically conductive element is disposed along the first length of the harness, 
 wherein the second length of the electrically conductive element is disposed along the second length of the harness, 
 wherein the first length of the harness extends over the flexible textile portion and is fixed relative to the flexible textile portion, and 
 wherein the second length of the harness extends over the less flexible textile portion and is not fixed relative to the less flexible textile portion. 
 
     
     
       17. The garment of  claim 15 , wherein the flexible textile portion extends from a back to a front of the garment, and
 wherein the less flexible textile portion extends across the front of the garment. 
 
     
     
       18. A garment comprising:
 a textile layer forming a shape of the garment and having a flexible textile portion and a less flexible textile portion; and 
 a harness coupled to the textile layer, the harness comprising an electrically conductive element and extending from a back of the garment, over a shoulder of the garment to a front of the garment, and splitting at the front of the garment to extend to a right side of the front of the garment and a left side of the front of the garment, 
 wherein a first portion of the harness extends over and is fixed relative to the flexible textile portion and wherein a second portion of the harness extends over and is not fixed relative to the less flexible textile portion. 
 
     
     
       19. The garment of  claim 18 , further comprising a device-retention element, wherein the harness terminates at the back of the garment at the device-retention element. 
     
     
       20. The garment of  claim 18 , further comprising:
 a first sensor; and 
 a second sensor, 
 wherein the harness terminates at the front of the garment at the first sensor and at the second sensor. 
 
     
     
       21. The garment of  claim 18 , further comprising:
 a back electronic element disposed at the back of the garment; and 
 two front electronic elements disposed at the front of the garment and spaced apart from each other, 
 wherein the harness electrically connects the back electronic element to the two front electronic elements. 
 
     
     
       22. The garment of  claim 21 , wherein the front electronic elements are physiological sensors, and
 wherein the back electronic element is a monitor device that receives signals from the physiological sensors via the harness and transmits the signals to a remote device. 
 
     
     
       23. The garment of  claim 21 , wherein the harness extends over only one shoulder of the garment. 
     
     
       24. The garment of  claim 18 , wherein the electrically conductive element comprises at least a first electrically conductive element and a second electrically conductive element, the first and second electrically conductive elements extending together up to where the harness splits at the front of the garment, and extending separately thereafter,
 wherein the first and second electrically conductive elements are parallel to each other or twisted around each other where they extend together.